Floor board



May 14, 1935. P Rl WE|TZEL 2,001,402

FLOOR BOARD Filed Nov. 4, 1932 i Il mummn-m y i@ umunnmmunuuummm 2 w umOz. immun Iwmo 771 ,1 Paal R. Wefzel Patented May 14, 1935 UNITE STATESATENT oFiCiE FLOOR BOARD Paul R. Weitzel, Newtown, Pa.

Application November 4, 1932, Serial No. 641,130

. 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in wooden floor boards and to theart of producing and finishing the same. v

Anobject of the invention is to provide a novel floor. board which maybe manufactured at low .cost and which, when assembled with similarboards, will present a flooring of rich and attractive appearance, andwhich will resist impairment by wear and also resist the sliding ordisplacement of rugs thereon. Another object is to provide a board whichmaybe brought back to its original condition with little effort andexpense following deterioration thereof caused by Wear thereon.

Another object is to provide a floor board which may be completely,yfinished at the mill, including the application ofthe nal finishingmaterial to be applied to the surface thereof, thereby eliminating theusual expensive hand labork customarily applied after the flooring islaid.

The invention resides in the novel characteristics of the improvedboardand in the `art of producing the same, as will be hereinafter describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the invention, i i

Figure 1 is a top view of my improved oor board, partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a view of one side thereof.

Figure 3 is a view of theopposite side thereof,

Figure 4 is a View of one end ofthe board.

,Figure 5 is a view of the opposite end thereof.

Figure 6 is` a, longitudinal section Of one end portion of the board. AY

Figure '7 is a transverse section showing two boards assembled in aflooring.

Figure 8 is a top View of a number of the boards assembled in aflooring.

Referring to the drawing, the floor board is made of suitable lightcolored wood and it comprises a long body having end walls 2 andlongitudinally-extending, parallel side walls 3.

The board may be of any suitable thickness for its intended use, and, asherein illustrated, one side 3 thereof is provided with alongitudinallyextending groove 4 and the opposite side 3 thereof isprovided with a corresponding rib 5 so that when a number of boards areassembled in a ilooring with the opposing sides thereof in abuttingrelationship, the ribs 5 may occupy positions within the grooves 4 andprevent relative vertical displacement of adjacent boards.

The top surface of the board is provided with indented markings B, 'land 8 which are produced by burning the wood along the markings by theaid of suitable heated wheels or'other instruments which are passed overand pressed against rthe board. y

The markings 6 extend along'the longitudinal edges of the board, themarkings l extend along theend edges of the board, andthe markings 8extend across the board and connect the markings 6v at suitably spacedintervals, so that the markingsl surround and define isolated areas 9and I0 of the top surface of the board.

The upper edge portions of the side walls 3 are provided with markingsIl which are joined kto and form continuations of the markings 6 and theupper edge portions'of the end walls 2 are provided with markingslZwhich are joined to and form continuations of the markings 1.

These` markings Il and l2 are produced by burnl ing the wood of the sideand end walls of the board similarly to the production ofthe'markings6,'|and8.

.The burning of the wood in the production of all the markings producesthe markings in a color which is black, .or substantially black, ascontrasted with the light color of the wood forming the board, and theblack4 or burnt wood of the markings penetrates to some extent into thebody of the board.

After theY board has been provided with the markings 6, l, 8, Il and l2,as above described, coloring matter in the nature of liquid stain orpaint is applied to the areasV 9 and I0 defined by the markings, by theaidof a brush or brushes,

or by the aid of other suitable` means, and the character of thecoloring matter applied to the areas 9 differs as to color or'shade fromthat applied to the areas l0, so that when similar boards are assembledin a flooring, regularly recurring areas of specific color or shade willbe presented in the formation of a design such, for f example, as thecheckered effect shown in Fig. 8.

The contrasting coloring matter may be quickly and inexpensively appliedto the areas 9 and Hl of the board, due to the fact that the areas aredefined by the burnt markings on the board and to the fact that nochange in result takes place if the coloring matter of one area laps orcovers the markings between it and adjacent areas. f

After the coloring matter has been applied to the areas 9 and I0 of theboard, the entire upper surface thereof is covered by a continuouscoating of a suitable finishing material which will resist water, suchas lacquer or shellac which may be sprayed upon the same or otherwisesuitably applied thereto; and, in addition thereto the lacquer orshellac may be coated with wax and polished by any suitable frictionproducing means applied thereto.

The board is now ready for the market and to take its place amongsimilar boards in a flooring; and, when it is assembled with otherboards, the burnt markings Il and I2 on the side and end surfaces of theboards prevent any light wood from grinning through the side and en'djoints of adjacentboards when they expand and contract and they allow ofmany irregularities in the meeting edges of adjacent boards while theypreserve well defined lines of uniform colorbetween adjacent boards.

Floorings constructed of oor boards made in accordance with my inventionneed no surface finishing operation or operations after they have beenlaid and they present as rich and attractive appearance as ymuch moreexpensive floorings which require surface nishing operations after thelaying thereof; j

It willv be observed that the width of the edge markings 6 and 1 isone-half,"or substantially one-half, of the width of the markings 8which extend between the edge markings, so that when a number of boardsare assembled in a flooring the lines of the net work of linesor-markings which define the areas!! and lil, within the outer edge ofthe flooring, will be of uniform width.

n It will be observed also that the respective sides or edges of theindented lines or markings 8 Within the outer or edge markings 6 and 1are flush with the upper surface of kthe board, and that the inner sidesor edges of the vedge markings 6 and l are flush with the upper surfaceof the board while the outer sides or edges of the edge markings 6 and'I are below the plane of upper surface of theboard a distancecorresponding with the ,depth of the indented markings 8, so that when ythe boards are assembled in a ooring, the combined adjacent edgemarkings will produce indented .lines or markings corresponding inappearance with the lines or markings which cross the body of the boardsbetween the edge markings thereon, thereby presenting a uniformappearance of all lines or markings forming the entire net work thereofin the flooring.

The edges of the indented lines or markings of the flooring provide aneffective means for preventing rugs placed thereon from sliding or beingaccidentally displaced. Y y

The indentation of the burnt lines or markings in the flooring, coupledwith the extension of the markings into the body rof the wood, preventsthe ordinary wear on the flooring from reaching or affecting the burntmarkings for a very long period of time; and, should the surfaces of theareas of the boards defined by the indented markings thereon deterioratein regions where the greatest wear occurs, the same may be easily andinexpensively brought back to the original condition of the flooring bythe application of corresponding coloring matter to such areas or theapplication of wax thereto and the polishing thereof, or both, astheextent o'f the deterioration may require.

When nails are employed to secure the boards of the flooring to the baseor foundation upon which the flooring is laid, either with or withoutthe presence of the grooves 4 and ribs 5; and the nailsare driventhrough the boards from the top surfaces thereof to points below suchsurfaces, the nails may be driven through the burnt markings on the.boards and thereafter the holes above the nails may be effectuallyeifaced by a filler v.of black wax or other suitable lling materialplacedtherein. n

yIt will now be understood that, by the employment of my invention andby varying the shapes and sizes of the areas defined by the burntmarkings thereon, and by varying the colors or shades of colorl in thecoloring matter applied to such areas, many different designs and coloreffects may be produced in the finished floorings. I'claim las myinvention, y 1. As a new article of manufacture, a Wooden board havingcharred vportions forming borders on its top surface extending along itslongitudinal edgeportions and contrasted with portions of the boardbetween such borders and continuing down the adjacentportions of thelongitudinal sides of the board, said borders being depressed below lthetoprsurface of portions of the board between such borders. f

2. As anew article of manufacture, a wooden board having charredportions forming borders on Aits top'su'rface extending along itslongitudinal edge `portions and contrasted with portions lof the boardbetween such borders and continuing Adown the adjacent portions of thelongitudinal sides of the board, said top surface having markings of acharacter like said borders and extending therefrom transversely of theboard.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a wooden board having charredportions forming borders on its top surface extending along itslongitudinal edge portions and contrasted with portions of the boardbetween such borders 'and' continuing down the adjacent portions of thelongitudinal sides of the board.

PAUL R. 'WEITZEL

